"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecclesisastes 3:1With the Christmas season fast approaching, we could all use more hours in our day; more time to complete our projects, more time to bring closure to the many variables in our life, more time to prepare for Christmas, more time to reflect on our year, and important time to set new achievable goals for 2009.
I would like to address some of the ways our time is abridged, and which lay at the root of an unproductive life. Perhaps you can identify with one area or there may be multiple areas; don’t sabotage the ability to achieve your goals by focusing on “all the areas” at once. Choose one thing, master it, and then move onto the next project.
I love Pringles Potato Chips. I like the way they taste, I love the “pop” when you lift the top, I love the hand-sized container, and I love the uniformity as they line up in a neat little vertical row like soldiers. Up and down with no variations and if you don’t shake the cylinder, you can eat them in order – consistently!
My life is a lot like a can of Pringle Potato Chips however, it can be like a brown bag filled with chips that have been sat on in a car. I am not perfect, but I am perfecting areas in my life that need particular attention. If your life is like a brown paper bag filled with remnants of chips, don’t look in the bag. Start afresh by choosing an area that concerns you the most, and line your ducks (pringles) up! “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40
Over the years, I have researched “time-wasters” both in my business and personal life. Often, the two overlap each other. What you are in the home will eventually be transferred to the workplace environment. I have never studied what God considers to be the time-wasters in my life, and as a Christian woman, that’s really all I am interested in! God is the time-management expert and through Jesus, He demonstrated order in His life as an example for our lives. In turn, we can teach and train others to regulate their lives.
Time-Wasters in the Bible
I have taken two specific areas to use as an illustration today. They are not necessarily in any order of importance;
1. Socializing - Too much socializing with our friends can be distracting. We would do better to understand the difference between productive socializing and wasting time. There's a fine line and balance between the two.
As women, we bring reproach upon ourselves when our husbands are the subject of criticism in our conversations when we are socializing on the phone or out in public. A wise woman builds her home through her dialogue within the home and the words she uses outside in public. It can be as subtle as; “Oh, my husband hates me when I ---,” or “He always says; Why did you ---.” This conversation would immediately attach a reputation to your husband - good or bad. The listener instantly has an opinion of your husband – good or bad! Brag on your husband - he loves it and he needs it!Sadly, some women act as Athaliah did in II Kings 8:16-11:16, destroying their family so that they can hold a lofty “position” (Genesis 3:5), counteracting their husbands in defiance to God (Genesis 3:16-17)!
Time-wasting tip - “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18
Time-management tip - “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19
- God speaks about our lips 122-times in Scripture. I’d say “Lips” are an issue.
- God speaks about our mouth 423-times in Scripture. I’d say our “Mouth” is an issue.
- God speaks about our tongue 136-times in Scripture. I’d say our “Tongue” is an issue.
- God speaks about our words 552-times in Scripture. Unless you sign, your lips, mouth, and tongue - form words. I’d say our “Words” are an issue.
There is a correlation with our body parts in these verses. God gives warning and instruction about how we are to use our orally-challenged mouths - 1,233-times in Scripture. It’s good Christianity to know your potential and exercise discipline.
2. Conflicts – Conflicts; quarrelling, brawling, disagreements, arguing, and differences - all take up energy and drain us of our ability to be enthusiastic, focused and productive. We need to address whatever conflicts we may have in our lives so we can minimize the "drains" on our lives. The result is that we will have more energy and focus. “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.” Job 9:33
When you study Hebrew a “daysman” is a man that argues, disputes everything, is judgmental, and has to be right. He is described as a mediator between two people, but not necessarily for the good of either.
Time-wasting tip – “A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.” Proverbs 19:14
Time-management tip – “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.” Proverbs 19:14
The word prudent literally means “smooth, clever, and artful.”
- A prudent woman is slow to anger
- A prudent woman is knowledgeable
- A prudent woman is wise with her words and in her conversation
- A prudent woman has understanding
- A prudent woman fears the Lord
All our knowledge and the “how to” for our lives begin with the Lord, and “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.” Proverbs 21:30
A prudent woman is very careful to ensure that all the knowledge she obtains is first filtered through her fear of God. Prudence is the mother of a productive life!
Why don’t you pray, as I have, and ask God to reveal the “time-wasters” that exist in your own life. I focus on what drains me the most and purpose myself to formulate a schedule which utilizes and maximizes the 24-hour day God has assigned for me.
We will continue with exposing the time-wasters in Scripture, but for now, I must close before “blogging” becomes part of my “time-wasters” list.
I Love You,
Deborah
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